Inventors:
Arun Girdharilal Khanna - Cupertino CA
Arunkumar Bhushappagala Thippeswamy - Cupertino CA
Frank Gerard Bordonaro - Los Gatos CA
Scott Allan Bales - Durham NC
Uwe Sellentin - San Jose CA
Assignee:
Cisco Technology, Inc. - San Jose CA
International Classification:
G06F 1516
US Classification:
709227, 709223, 370229, 370356, 370401
Abstract:
A transparently-bridged wide area network connecting Ethernet/IEEE 802. 3-based local area networks uses redundant proxy devices one each LAN for internetwork communications. The proxy devices on a given LAN, implemented as data link switching (DLSw) devices, mediate for proxy services by generation and maintenance of a token between the proxy devices capable of providing the corresponding proxy services. In the case of transfer of a data frame, a proxy device having received a frame from an end station determines whether any other proxy device possess a token authorizing the establishment of a circuit connection via a wide area network for transfer of the frame to another local area network. If the proxy devices determines that another proxy device possess the token, the proxy device lacking the token drops the frame. If the proxy device possesses the token, then the frame can be transferred via the wide area network.